Requirements:The TSN Sandbox requires the TSN Expansion to work fully. Download the latest TSN Expansion here. (Please note - the TSN Expansion is continually being developed and uploaded.)About the TSN ExpansionThe TSN Expansion is a mod for Artemis SSBS. It includes new player vessel types, new alien races, a whole host of new models for use in game, as well as some additional tweaks and changes to the Artemis game.

What is the TSN Sandbox?The TSN Sandbox is the evolution of the original Sandbox mission script. It was inspired by discussions years ago about creating a sandbox mode for Artemis - giving crews the opportunity explore freely though a pre-designed galaxy. Version 7.3.x is the product of continual modifications, changes and updates since the first Sandbox. Since its first creation, development has never stopped on the Sandbox, and there are constant additions, changes and fixes being made, making it one of the most stable mission scripts out there. It is also used extensively by the TSN RP Community which means it is always being tested to the limit!

The TSN Sandbox script allows up to eight bridges to operate together, moving through multiple sectors and star systems. A small universe has been created, and crews can freely move around it, sector-to-sector, system-to-system. Each star system is linked via a Jump Gate network, and consists of a number of sectors linked edge-to-edge. The maps to explore are immense, with Atlantis system alone consisting of 20, fully implemented sectors.

There are a whole host of new ways of interacting with the game for crews. The Fuel Collection System allows a helm officer to set the ship impulse systems to begin regenerating energy; Shuttle Operations gives a comms officer menu choices to load the player shuttle with different cargo types, ready for delivery to designated waypoints; boarding actions by enemies can cause havoc, with comms officers monitoring updates from marine teams, whist the Engineer must manage damcon teams to fix the damage caused; Engineering officers have the ability to set the ship system to low output, enabling "Silent Running"; supply ships allows crews to rendezvous and replenish energy and ordnance whilst exploring deep space; and status monitors on the science screen indicate hazardous radiation levels when close to a radiation source.

The TSN Sandbox is created primarily as a GM mission script. The controls provided to a GM are some of the most comprehensive controls, allowing the GM to tailor the experience for crews and create exciting and diverse missions. Take players on hit-and-run operations deep in enemy terrain; set up search and rescue mission to recover lost ships; provide aide to USFP citizens, ferrying medical supplies or engineering equipment; rescue prisoners from enemy transports; seize control of enemy bases in an all-out attack on an enemy stronghold.... the only limit is your imagination!

Features:

Extensive GM Interface;

Edge-to-edge sector transition;

Jump Gate system-to-system transitions;

Designed for up to 8 bridges operating at the same time;

Over 20 different systems to explore, and growing;

Huge and diverse system maps - from small 4 sector maps to huge 20 sector systems;

Stellar CartographyFind maps for systems here in Stellar Cartography.This site will provide you with detailed maps of the systems within the TSN Sandbox. Use the map during the during the game to navigate through the vast areas of space available!

Running the ScriptThe TSN Sandbox is run as a normal mission script. The TSN Sandbox script supports up to 8 ships. You can use any and all of the ships in the script; the script supports individual ships, or any combination of ships. It also does not make a difference what order the names are used, so you can name Ship 1 TSN Sabre, TSN Horizon or any of the other 8 ships names. The sandbox uses the specific ship names for the game only, which are:

TSN Sabre

TSN Horizon

TSN Lancer

TSN Viper

TSN Hunter

TSN Valiant

TSN Excalibur

TSN Eagle

The ship name must be identical to those listed above. Any alteration of the names will cause the script not to work correctly.

Once crews are ready and have selected their preferred console, the mission script can be started. To spawn a ship, one client must have the Main Screen option selected, and click "Ready to Play" after the script is running. This will spawn a new player ship in the game. Once all ships have spawned, the GM can activate the script using the GM buttons on their console.

Designers Notes:Development never stops on the TSN Sandbox. It is a script that has been used continually for over 5 years now by the TSN RP Community, and has evolved into possibly one of the most comprehensive mission scripts ever created for Artemis. Since I last released the script publicly, back when it was in it was V4, there has been a whole load of changes made, including a few major redesigns of the way some of the sector code worked. Though much of this change isn't noticeable, it has enabled one of the major change for GMs to be created - the System Selection menus. This allows a GM to pick exact start point for players, anywhere in the available systems. This version has also seen extensive additions to those available systems. There are, at the time of writing, 13 new systems that have been added and just need the "terrain" creating. Once done, it would bring the total systems to over 30 possible locations to explore!

For this release, I have decided to use the TSN specific ship names; hopefully there is a name there that crews will like. By doing it this way, it means that the latest version can always be available to everyone, instead of just to the TSN. I found that changing the names for the release added and extra step each time, and because I am working on the the Sandbox pretty much every week, it means that I would have to make that change every time. In the past, this meant that the most up-to-date version wouldn't be made available because of this constant need to change names and update the required files - I'd have to spend precious time making the change rather than working on a feature or fix. Of course, for those of you out there with the know-how, it is an easy matter of doing a simple "find and replace" in the file, so I thought I would leave the names.

Something that I have aimed for in creating the sandbox is adding new an interesting ways for crews and GM to interact with the script and one-another. I have been able to add a whole host of different ideas, but many more things I have that I want to try out too. For the time being, the old "Patrol Mode" and "Pirate Mode" have been removed. Both these modes were never fully developed, and with the changes being made across the sandbox, I decided to remove them entirely. This isn't to say I have abandoned the idea though, and it is something I still want to revisit at some point in the future.

That's all for now I think. Thanks for using the TSN Sandbox, and good luck on your Artemis adventures!

Created this quickly to give an overview of the TSN Sandbox. Hopefully it gives you an idea of all the different features available. I'll try and make more in the future with a more detailed look at some of the specific functions.

Another video! This one is a short guide for players on the new Comms Menu buttons available in the TSN Sandbox. The menu has recently been re-written to make it easier to use when there are multiple comms officers on different ships.

Very impressive. I like how creative your team has gotten with the scripting abilities of the game. I am planning a LARP based on the game and I'm thinking there's no need to reinvent the wheel and to just add on top of your script. Thanks for sharing your work and for creating these videos to teach the capabilities as well.

This is absolutely amazing. I noticed today though that when firing up the Sandbox (along with the TSN mod) the video performance on the server is just abysmal. Is there a significant tax on whats being done with the sandbox that would cause this? and if so are there any things that can be done to mitigate it?

One question, Xavier. I noticed that you multiplied the beams and shields by 1/4 across all ships. I was wondering what the reasoning was for this -- is it to make torpedoes more effective?

I know in the standard set-up the homing torpedoes are not where the DPS is. Their role seems to be largely attacking at range and the more strategic torpedoes (EMP, Nuke, Mine, etc.). But if you're just about doing damage, overcharged beams are much more effective (and that homing torpedo is more valuable as 100 energy).

The primary reason was to give more time between taking down an enemiy's shields and destroying them. This increases roleplay opportunities to agonize over killing them or to communicate with them through the GM so the GM can make them surrender, bring them to a stop, mark deplyment points for marines, medical or tech teams etc.

But with the loss of configurable torp damage in 2.7.1, it also helped to make torpedoes and especially pshocks, more important.__________________Commander Conrad MatsiyanC.O. TSN Viper, 4th Light Division, 2nd Space Fleet, Terran Stellar NavyTSN RP Community http://www.terranstellarnavy.net/http://fleetnews.site/

Thank you. I was thinking along the same lines of slowing down the pacing to make it more of a roleplay/LARP rather than a kill-fest. My initial thought was to just slow down the beam recharge time, but by reducing the shields as well as the beams, you make the hull much more durable (compared to the shields). Thanks for sharing.

Forgive me if its shared someplace already. Is there a recommendation on server specs for the sandbox?My cruddy tower is a little long in the tooth and is extremely slow in running the sandbox. GM controls just lag like crazy. I've taken a look at the script and it is impressively huge. I'm wondering if this is a function of my system not being up to snuff, or does artemis in general have a tough time with a script that large?

Weighing in at 10 megs the TSN Sandbox is very large as mission scripts go, but the amount of memory it occupies should not cause the lagging. Adding memory to your server probably won't fix the problem.

The more likely cause of lagging is the number of statements the script is constantly executing. In that case you probably do need a newer, faster, beefier server to run the TSN Sandbox.

Until you get it, you are welcome to use the sandbox GM script I wrote for Artemis Armada IV. It is much less ambitious than the TSN Sandbox, but it is easy to learn and works perfectly with stock Artemis.

I will start another thread for the The Armada IV script. If you have any questions please ask them in that thread - do not hijack this thread.__________________"The Admiralty had demanded six ships; the economists offered four; and we finally compromised on eight."- Winston Churchill

You are welcome, e4Mafia. See this thread for detailed information about the Armada IV script.

We now return you to you regularly scheduled TSN Sandbox discussion.__________________"The Admiralty had demanded six ships; the economists offered four; and we finally compromised on eight."- Winston Churchill

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